Elaine Dias Leitão Da Graca

Elaine Da Graça moved to the Canary Islands in 2003 where she studied and graduated from ESCOEX – International Business School, with a double degree: The School’s own title on “Dirección de Comercio Internacional y Marketing” and BSc (Gen Hon) Degree in International Trade and Marketing by the University of Wales in 2007.
Before founding Scientia, she acquired professional experience in the Canary Islands for 4 years, working for multinational companies such as TOYOTA and Brasilien TCC Shoes. In 2011 she decided to move back to Cabo Verde where she worked for one company: AEB – water and electricity company in one of the 10 islands – Boa Vista.

During the next 3 years Elaine worked as a freelancer providing virtual assistance services alongside the execution of projects and business plans for international clients that wanted in invest in Cabo Verde. During the same period, she opens The Office Sports Bar, with her partner, in the same island. This project had a duration of a year. By the end of 2015, she decides it was time to Found her own startup providing services in the areas she had experience on. During this same time, of professional search, she decides to start producing handmade handbags. Her mother is a Plastic Arts’ teacher which taught her at a very young age a lot of crafts made by hand such as painting, drawing, sewing, crochet… and many more. Elaine believes in the great business opportunity of hand made products and decides to register THE HOUSE OF ELLA as a brand in Cabo Verde, and it is in the process of registering the brand in Portugal and internationally. In 2017, Elaine decides to focus her company and efforts in one of the three biggest influential segments in the digital world – Women. Cabo Verde is a matriarchal country where women do not have the same opportunities as men. Therefore, Elaine has made of Scientia’s mission to empower and to assist women in their search for opportunities and in the development of their abilities. Recently she has travelled to international summit held in two different African countries where she had the opportunity to meet and network with a high number of influential women that owns their own companies in their respective countries. And its due this, that now Scientia is focussed on a bigger market – The African Women and Youth market!